An shot taken on our Melkite Youth Day (21 December 2007) in Sydney, Australia, where Melkite youth gathered in preparation for World Youth Day (2008).

Hundreds of our Melkite youth received the World Youth Day cross & icon from the Oceanic community and went on a pilgrimage walk around other churches in our area, praying, singing, and chanting all the way.

This shot shows the World Youth Day cross being carried into the Coptic Orthodox church of St Damiana (the icon went ahead of the cross). We expected only to be praying in front of the church, but the Copts welcomed the cross and icon right up to the altar, where they prayed and chanted in welcome, and for church unity. Several Coptic priests, several deacons, members of the choir, and many parishioners welcomed and prayed with us. The deacons and priests then led the procession chanting us right to the doors of the Maronite church of St Charbel (a couple of blocks down the road).

As the procession went past (the streets were blocked by the police in a rolling blockade), many people ran out to pray or sing with us, some merely coming to venerate the cross and icon.

It was a wonderful day, where God blessed his young people.